Lps corals requiring extra feeding

[fleeton]

My LPS corals aren't opening fully, I know it's a common issue. They've all been in the same spot with the same flow and weekly water changes every Friday. No new corals have been added and they've all been in the tank for about 7 months. The ones acting up are mainly my hammers, frogspawn, and octospawn - all branching types. There's no noticeable tissue loss, they just aren't inflating all the way the past few days.

Tank info - don't bash me
- parameters, no clue never tested the water
- salinity is 1.026
- temp is 79-80
- using Red Sea Coral Pro salt
- Purigen and Chemi Pure Elite in the filter basket

Inhabitants
- 2 false perc clowns
- 4 turban snails
- a bunch of Stomatella snails
- tons of mini brittle stars
- Astrea stars

Issues
- bubble algae showed up out of nowhere 2 weeks ago
- some Vermited snails here and there

It's a Biocube 29, about a year old. Stock lights, running 2 blue Actinic bulbs - one's as old as the tank, the other's about a month old.

[fleeton]

Also worth noting, i dont target feed my corals at all. The clowns get pellets, thats about it. I've always read that corals get what they need from the water itself, so i just figured that was enough. They've been gettin their nutrients straight from the water, no extra foodin from me.

[Vespera]

Honestly, I never thought it was necessary since my tank's been running smoothly for a year. I've never had any major issues and I figured as long as I'm doing regular water changes and maintaining the same conditions, I'd be fine. Plus, I've always read that corals can thrive in a well-maintained tank without needing to test the water all the time.

[fleeton]

I don't test my water params in either tank, never have. My other tank's 3 years old, only thing I check is salinity at water changes.

[fleeton]

I've noticed that several people on this forum don't test their water, and they're keeping sensitive corals just fine. My tank's been pretty clean, aside from the bubble algae that showed up recently. We've had a small patch of cyano during cycling, but that's about it. I change the Purigen and Chemi Pure Elite every 2 months, and I do a 5-gallon water change every Friday, no exceptions. I did miss a change twice, and that's when the bubble algae got worse. I've been relying on good water quality and consistent salinity. The only things I'm unsure about are how old the bulbs can get for LPS corals, and whether people target feed them or just let the water provide what they need.

[FoxRise]

I test my water pretty regularly, at least once a week, and I focus on Calc, Alk, and Mag since I'm not too concerned about nitrate and phosphate. I also do weekly 5-gallon water changes on my 29-gallon biocube, but I still dose small amounts of Calc, Alk, and Mag to keep things stable. Recently started experimenting with adding a drop of vodka every couple of days, just one drop, to see how it goes.

[_frosty]

I also don't target feed my corals, and I've found that when my alkalinity levels drop, I start to see issues similar to what you're experiencing. With your 5-gallon weekly water changes, it's possible that your core parameters - calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium - aren't being replenished to NSW levels. The presence of algae issues, like the bubble algae you mentioned, makes me suspect that phosphates might be a problem.

I don't test my water frequently, but I keep kits on hand for when something seems off. Have you checked if your refractometer is calibrated?

[felinxo]

Not testing with Coral Pro salt, especially with LPS-dominant tank, is a recipe for disaster in my book.

[fleeton]

I'm curious, what's the reasoning behind saying Coral Pro salt isn't suitable for a tank full of LPS corals.

[felinxo]

Coral Pro is geared towards those who test and adjust, it's pretty clear on the label. Not testing your water, especially with a salt like that, isn't a good combo.